Dear Avid Reader,
Oh movie blog, I knew him well Horatio. As Aristotle said, "The End Of Labor Is To Gain Leisure". And so I guess I now gain some leisure.
Or whatever.
Hey Careful Man, There's A Beverage Here
I have tried for a week to write this final blog entry. I'm not sure what is causing the writer's block. Maybe it's something to do with the fact that I think this essay has to be better than the others. Or that there needs to be closure. I'm not sure, but I do know that I have started this like three times already and I am determined to finish on this one.
And I find it fitting that the final blog entry is about a movie that has kind of an interesting ending for me: all the characters end up where they started. Well, Donny is dead and Maude is pregnant, but everyone else returns to their earlier situations. The Dude is a penniless bum, Treehorn doesn't have his money, Bunny and Lebowski are still together, and nobody fucks with the Jesus. In fact, sometimes I just skip the final monologue and start watching something else. For me, the movie ends on "The Dude Abides". And I abide in that.
So What Are You Telling Me, When You Get Divorced, You Turn In Your Library Card, You Get A New License, You Stop Being Jewish?
But perhaps the fact that I haven't been able to get a head of steam is that I've really been looking forward to this flick. I've been planning for this to be the last movie since January. I guess I have built up what this essay would to me personally be too much. This is a theme for me, because I like endings. They are convenient when trying to assess how something (or myself) is doing. Once something finishes, a true analysis can begin. That's probably why older bands can be better than newer bands. The whole story can be examined. Or whatever.
But even though I like endings, it's hard for me to decide on what this ending should be. This is because the other reason I like endings is because I get bored. If the thing would just end, I could check it off in my mind and then move on to the next thing. I like processing culture. It feels good. But this restlessness means that my mind encounters static as I try and write. I wish I could write effective onomatopoeia right now. Zzzzzrrshhhzzrrshh, is lacking somehow.
I'm Not Messing With Your Special Lady
Let's take it from this tack. The Big Lebowski kind of encapsulates what I like in art. On the surface, it's a comedy, with wacky characters and snappy dialogue. And the movie can be enjoyed on that level, but there are things happening all around that add depth. First, the whole thing is an homage to film noir and the film has inside jokes for fans of the form. It also has beautiful dream sequences that are surreal and fascinating. The characters are real and meaty and the interplay between them is superb.
And there are truly dark parts of the film. The fight outside the bowling alley for one is comical, but very violent. Walter's rage is palpable. And the sheriff of Malibu is truly menacing. But my favorite part of the darker side is The Dude's powerlessness. It is a film noir convention that the antagonist is lost in world of shadowy forces, but to work that into what is essentially a comedy is amazing. Lot of ins, a lot of outs in this movie.
He Fixes The Cable?
Why my wife doesn't like this movie is beyond me. Maybe it's a gender thing. Whereas Dirty Dancing is the feminine side of awesome, The Big Lebowski is the masculine side. But what is universal is the appreciation for complexity, for subtlety. It's why people like wine. It's why I like punk music, and They Might Be Giants. There is something on the surface, and something, maybe something that is an opposite, laid underneath. It's harmony. It's balance.
It's an ending. But it could also be a beginning.
Until Next I Blog,
James
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
The List of Movies
Find your favorite!
-A-
Airplane
-B-
Back to the Future
Batman
The Big Lebowski
Big Trouble in Little China
Bill & Ted's Excellent Journey
Birdemic: Shock and Terror
Boyz N The Hood
-C-
Caddyshack
Clue
The Cowboys
-D-
Dirty Dancing
Donnie Darko
-E-
Enter the Dragon
-F-
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
-G-
Ghostbusters
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Goonies
Grease
Groundhog Day
-H-
Halloween
Heat
-K-
The Karate Kid
Kicking and Screaming
-L-
The Longest Yard
Lost Boys
-M-
Monty Python and The Holy Grail
-N-
Napoleon Dynamite
-O-
Office Space
-P-
Pee Wee's Big Adventure
The Princess Bride
-R-
Red Dawn
Repo! The Genetic Opera
Road House
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Room
The Royal Tennenbaums
Rudy
-S-
The Sandlot
Scarface
Sleepless in Seattle
-T-
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
TiMER
Tombstone
Top Gun
Troll 2
-U-
UHF
-W-
Waiting for Guffman
The Warriors
Willow
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
-Y-
Young Frankenstein
-A-
Airplane
-B-
Back to the Future
Batman
The Big Lebowski
Big Trouble in Little China
Bill & Ted's Excellent Journey
Birdemic: Shock and Terror
Boyz N The Hood
-C-
Caddyshack
Clue
The Cowboys
-D-
Dirty Dancing
Donnie Darko
-E-
Enter the Dragon
-F-
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
-G-
Ghostbusters
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Goonies
Grease
Groundhog Day
-H-
Halloween
Heat
-K-
The Karate Kid
Kicking and Screaming
-L-
The Longest Yard
Lost Boys
-M-
Monty Python and The Holy Grail
-N-
Napoleon Dynamite
-O-
Office Space
-P-
Pee Wee's Big Adventure
The Princess Bride
-R-
Red Dawn
Repo! The Genetic Opera
Road House
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Room
The Royal Tennenbaums
Rudy
-S-
The Sandlot
Scarface
Sleepless in Seattle
-T-
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
TiMER
Tombstone
Top Gun
Troll 2
-U-
UHF
-W-
Waiting for Guffman
The Warriors
Willow
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
-Y-
Young Frankenstein
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Week 51: Kicking & Screaming
Dear Avid Reader,
This is not the 2005 Will Farrell soccer movie. This is the 1995 movie directed by Noah Baumbach.
Don't go flipping the script or putting salt in my game.
You Aim For The Stars, You Hit The Roof
In the documentary "The Outsider", Roger Ebert describes film directors operating between two pendulum points: pandering, and narcissism. To be accurate he states that if a director isn't "self-indulgent" then he becomes a "caterer" to the audience. Ebert goes on to list great directors Bergman and Fellini as examples of film-making greatness that came out of so-called artistic self-indulgence.
When I heard Ebert say this, I was blown away. It really described a negative extreme that I had been trying to describe. While it's easy to describe an artist that is making art solely for money as a sell-out, or artistically bankrupt, or a hack, it was harder to describe how the other side of the coin could also be bad. Self-indulgent, narcissistic, and insular were added to my thesis. Now both the populist and the distinguished artists had their weaknesses, or at least they did in my mind. This is important because I have always wanted to be a snobbish, elite artist and now I knew what I was getting into.
And this is why I have chosen Kicking and Screaming as this week's movie.
You Know What I Mean, We All Know What We Mean
I would assume that few of my readers have watched this film. I believe that few people in general have seen it. But this movie is freaking great. In many ways it reflects a great deal of my personality. The dry, too-smart-for-itself dialogue. The intellectual elevation of typically low culture. Like when they wait to leave the house and watch a detergent commercial to see if the stain comes out. Or how movies where monkeys have prominent roles are treated with the same level of excitement as European capitals. I love it.
And then there's the cool detachment of the characters that is equally their greatest strength and most appalling weakness. Especially with Max. Max can adroitly deflate Friedrich's fake compassion at the bar, but he also has a knee-jerk reaction of doom to Kate's birthday. I imagine it is Max the one bankrolling Grover's existence by letting him live at the house rent free, after all it's his parent's money. Why make Grover earn a living when he doesn't. But he reacts so coldly when Skippy ends their friendship. It's a quality that I admire and also fear. It's also something I would have been envious of in college.
And the ending is so spot on. I discussed in my Dirty Dancing post how I felt that the ending of that film was not true to the characters or the times. But this film ends so beautifully. The audience knows Grover will never make it to Prague, that he and Jane will never be together. It's just how they ended up. And how they end on a flashback, making the airport scene all the more bittersweet. I feel every break-up in that moment.
Damn I love this movie.
Racism Spans From Here To The Dancefloor
But the most thrilling thing about the movie is how it deals with nostalgia. Now, I have already covered memory in my Monty Python and The Holy Grail post, but nostalgia is somehow different. I guess I see it as remembering in order to re-experience the emotional color of the moment. And usually the feeling is a hurt, a pang. And why folks want to feel pain on purpose is a mystery. It's like pushing a sore tooth with your tongue. You just can't help yourself.
And Max explains the phenomenon so well in the bar. The act of hyper-reminiscing conversations that happened hours ago. Or even making a decision based on how the outcome will be remembered. I've never had a character in a movie so accurately describe something that I thought only I did. In fact, I wasn't even aware I had been doing it until Max articulated it.
Double damn, I love this movie.
Don't Upset Him Because He'd Already Rather Be Bow Hunting
I think nostalgia is something that my peers and I encounter in a very strange way. I have grown up in the shadow of the Baby Boom generation. And as I came of age, I was surrounded by media that was geared toward helping Boomers philosophize about their own childhood. I was a kid when Wonder Years was on the air. So I was a kid watching a show intended to have adults reflect on being a kid. I felt as though this has given my generation sharper nostalgia reflex. For example, I used to pour over my elementary year books in middle school, and my middle school year books in high school. Before I could drive I was already concerned that "it was all slipping away". In a sense, I was pushing at my baby teeth with my tongue.
In so many ways this movie feels like it was made specifically for me and only me. And I guess that is why I think it's so great and why everyone else thinks it's mediocre. I feel the same way about the album Laughing Gallery by Ruth Ruth. It's a thing that only I truly understand. That's why it's awesome. At least it's how I will remember it.
Until Next I Blog,
James
This is not the 2005 Will Farrell soccer movie. This is the 1995 movie directed by Noah Baumbach.
Don't go flipping the script or putting salt in my game.
You Aim For The Stars, You Hit The Roof
In the documentary "The Outsider", Roger Ebert describes film directors operating between two pendulum points: pandering, and narcissism. To be accurate he states that if a director isn't "self-indulgent" then he becomes a "caterer" to the audience. Ebert goes on to list great directors Bergman and Fellini as examples of film-making greatness that came out of so-called artistic self-indulgence.
When I heard Ebert say this, I was blown away. It really described a negative extreme that I had been trying to describe. While it's easy to describe an artist that is making art solely for money as a sell-out, or artistically bankrupt, or a hack, it was harder to describe how the other side of the coin could also be bad. Self-indulgent, narcissistic, and insular were added to my thesis. Now both the populist and the distinguished artists had their weaknesses, or at least they did in my mind. This is important because I have always wanted to be a snobbish, elite artist and now I knew what I was getting into.
And this is why I have chosen Kicking and Screaming as this week's movie.
You Know What I Mean, We All Know What We Mean
I would assume that few of my readers have watched this film. I believe that few people in general have seen it. But this movie is freaking great. In many ways it reflects a great deal of my personality. The dry, too-smart-for-itself dialogue. The intellectual elevation of typically low culture. Like when they wait to leave the house and watch a detergent commercial to see if the stain comes out. Or how movies where monkeys have prominent roles are treated with the same level of excitement as European capitals. I love it.
And then there's the cool detachment of the characters that is equally their greatest strength and most appalling weakness. Especially with Max. Max can adroitly deflate Friedrich's fake compassion at the bar, but he also has a knee-jerk reaction of doom to Kate's birthday. I imagine it is Max the one bankrolling Grover's existence by letting him live at the house rent free, after all it's his parent's money. Why make Grover earn a living when he doesn't. But he reacts so coldly when Skippy ends their friendship. It's a quality that I admire and also fear. It's also something I would have been envious of in college.
And the ending is so spot on. I discussed in my Dirty Dancing post how I felt that the ending of that film was not true to the characters or the times. But this film ends so beautifully. The audience knows Grover will never make it to Prague, that he and Jane will never be together. It's just how they ended up. And how they end on a flashback, making the airport scene all the more bittersweet. I feel every break-up in that moment.
Damn I love this movie.
Racism Spans From Here To The Dancefloor
But the most thrilling thing about the movie is how it deals with nostalgia. Now, I have already covered memory in my Monty Python and The Holy Grail post, but nostalgia is somehow different. I guess I see it as remembering in order to re-experience the emotional color of the moment. And usually the feeling is a hurt, a pang. And why folks want to feel pain on purpose is a mystery. It's like pushing a sore tooth with your tongue. You just can't help yourself.
And Max explains the phenomenon so well in the bar. The act of hyper-reminiscing conversations that happened hours ago. Or even making a decision based on how the outcome will be remembered. I've never had a character in a movie so accurately describe something that I thought only I did. In fact, I wasn't even aware I had been doing it until Max articulated it.
Double damn, I love this movie.
Don't Upset Him Because He'd Already Rather Be Bow Hunting
I think nostalgia is something that my peers and I encounter in a very strange way. I have grown up in the shadow of the Baby Boom generation. And as I came of age, I was surrounded by media that was geared toward helping Boomers philosophize about their own childhood. I was a kid when Wonder Years was on the air. So I was a kid watching a show intended to have adults reflect on being a kid. I felt as though this has given my generation sharper nostalgia reflex. For example, I used to pour over my elementary year books in middle school, and my middle school year books in high school. Before I could drive I was already concerned that "it was all slipping away". In a sense, I was pushing at my baby teeth with my tongue.
In so many ways this movie feels like it was made specifically for me and only me. And I guess that is why I think it's so great and why everyone else thinks it's mediocre. I feel the same way about the album Laughing Gallery by Ruth Ruth. It's a thing that only I truly understand. That's why it's awesome. At least it's how I will remember it.
Until Next I Blog,
James
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Week 50: The Karate Kid
Dear Avid Reader,
The heat in Texas is ridiculous. I blame the wealth gap in this country.
And the sun of course.
Nothing Exist In Whole World, Only Tree
Here are few things I noticed on this watching of Karate Kid. First, the kid who initially kicks Daniel in the knee has a interesting name. He is referred to as Bobby in one scene and Mr. Brown at the Cobra Kai dojo. That mean his name is Bobby Brown. I guess that's his prerogative. Yes!
Here are some other name things I noticed. And Ali's name is spelled Ali. Like the boxer. Does her uptight father know about this? And why does everyone mispronounce Mr. Myagi's name. The correct pronunciation seems so obvious. I'm not sure why I noticed these things before. Perhaps my name should be MUD. Yes!
Look Eye, Always Look Eye
Another thing that hit me is how crazily the America of today would have reacted to the events of Karate Kid. Like how the Cobra Kai hooligans would have been rounded up and thrown in jail following the first incident on the beach. And why is no one wearing pads at the karate tournament? Overprotective mom would have filed a lawsuit on the organizers milliseconds after the first foot landed on her precious angel's face. Count on it.
But the most blatant example of how much our country has changed in thirty years involves Mr. Myagi. Because if it this movie happened today, there is no way he is allowed to walk the streets after punching and kicking high-schoolers. No one would have cared if he was defending Daniel. No one. The media storm alone would have at least forced him to move back to Okinawa. But most likely he's in jail and on a sex offender list. Count on that twice.
Not Everything Is As Seem
Now before moving on, we must discuss the montages. This movie has two of the greatest montages. And while the mini-golf-date montage is good, a better one is less heralded than all of the others: the Daniel training montage. When he is on the boat alone and trying to learn the crane kick. It's so quiet and small, which underscores the plucky determination of Daniel. We get to look on as he slowly overcomes his fears and begins to embrace his own existence. This montage is where Daniel finally becomes a man.
But of course the greatest montage is the one set to Joe Esposito' immortal "You're The Best". This montage has no equal. It is epic, and breathtaking. It may very well be the finest movie-making and scoring in the history of film. No, it is. Hands down. I will not argue about this.
No Such Thing Bad Student, Only Bad Teacher
These funny things aside I noticed something much more important. This movie is really more about adults than it is the kids. Or maybe it is all to do with the kids and how little the adults actually change the children in their lives. Either way it makes for a very nuanced dynamic. I'll try and explain.
Let's look at the adults first. Mrs. Larusso is well-meaning but ultimately self-centered. I mean, she puts her career over the very safety of her son. What mother lets her son continue at a high-school where he is continually bullied? And finding out that he has started lying about it (the sunglasses scene) means that the situation is really impacting this kid a very dangerous way. Moving on to Mr. Myagi, we find a very nice man, but still a man that is closed off emotionally and establishes early on that he no qualms about beating children into submission. Ali's parents are textbook examples of classist, wealthy, racist snobs. And sensei John Kreese is clearly a madman. The most egregious example is his threat of ordering his students to pummel both Daniel and Mr. Myagi. It's so menacing. It freaks me out every time. Seriously.
You Trust Quality What You Know, Not Quantity
Now on to the kids. Daniel and Ali are clearly nice kids. And Ali's friends seem like very nice and well-meaning. But look further to Lawrence and Bobby. The typical menu would feature one-dimensional, "rich kid" a-holes. Some easy villains for the audience to turn into punching bags like so much rehashed commedia dell'arte. But the character Bobby is not so easy to to set-up and knock down. He is truly appalled that he is asked to put Daniel "out-of-commission". And it's no suprise to the audience because he has been asking his fellow bullies to show mercy to their victim, especially when off the field of competition.
Now Bobby is clearly no-holds-barred when it comes to sports. He tackles Daniel on the soccer field and is a ferocious sparring partner at the dojo. You can see that he has found a way to achieve balance with his aggressive nature and can channel it into athletics. Bobby is a fully realized character. And it's why the knee-kick is so devastating on-screen. Because if Bobby is against it, the viewer knows it's bad. Bobby has too much respect for the game.
You Karate "Guess So", Squish Just Like Grape
These conflicted beliefs are not seen in a character like Dutch. He is your typical violent bully. he has no mercy. Adrenaline is constantly coursing in his body. Everyone has seen a Dutch. And I think everyone has seen a John Lawrence. An individual of great potential and ambition twisted by an awful mentor adept at exploiting a desire to please. He has become a casualty of war of wealthy conformity. He has earned well what happens to people who dabble with the lower classes. Maybe his fighting with Daniel is a form of protecting Ali using the only tools the adults have taught him: violence and disgust.
But John's gentler nature, perhaps his true nature, peeks through at the finale of the movie. The line, "You're alright Larusso. Good match," reveals that Daniel is finally accepted as an equal. Allowing Daniel to have worth destroys the world of cruelty and suppression that has been constructed for the bullies.
While John and Bobby show signs of repentance, I beleive Tommy and Dutch will never accept Daniel. Perhaps they too are from poorer families and believe ostracizing Daniel ensures that there is always a class below them. Scorn, they have observed, is a quality that all wealthy families cherish. And wealth is what they are truly after. And while they harden, it is beautiful to watch John and Bobby come out of the shadow of the classism of their elders. Because, Bobby and John are victims themselves of bullies that are much more powerful than a groups of kids that dress exactly alike on Halloween. especially since a bunch of dudes dressing the same on Halloween is totally lame.
Man Who Catch Fly With Chopstick, Can Accomplish Anything
Karate Kid is always lumped in with other coming-of-age movies from the 1980s. but I think the delicate beauty of the film. The heroes are flawed. Daniel is far to emotional, and impetuous. He picks the fight at the high-school dance, hardly a virtuous act. Mr Myagi is stubborn and deeply troubled. the emotional scars of his wife's death still haunt him. And he baits Daniel by calling his punches "girl" like. He also attempts to diminish Daniel's triumph of capturing a fly with chopsticks. Remarking that it is "beginner's luck", clearly an attempt to heal a fragile ego
And the villains, as I have already covered, are not villainous all the time. They are conflicted by the opposing forces of their own gentles natures against their families desires for success at all costs. I mean, the first group of friends that Daniel makes are far more cold and cruel than the Cobra Kai. I mean they kick the kid out for getting beat up by the worst bullies around. What a bunch of d-bags.
Don't allow the action of this movie confuse the facts. This is a fragile and delicate film about the journey from boy to man. And it should be regarded as a great film by any standard. Just because it includes some fighting and a date montage at a mini-golf park should not eradicate the importance of this film.
Until Next I Blog,
James
The heat in Texas is ridiculous. I blame the wealth gap in this country.
And the sun of course.
Nothing Exist In Whole World, Only Tree
Here are few things I noticed on this watching of Karate Kid. First, the kid who initially kicks Daniel in the knee has a interesting name. He is referred to as Bobby in one scene and Mr. Brown at the Cobra Kai dojo. That mean his name is Bobby Brown. I guess that's his prerogative. Yes!
Here are some other name things I noticed. And Ali's name is spelled Ali. Like the boxer. Does her uptight father know about this? And why does everyone mispronounce Mr. Myagi's name. The correct pronunciation seems so obvious. I'm not sure why I noticed these things before. Perhaps my name should be MUD. Yes!
Look Eye, Always Look Eye
Another thing that hit me is how crazily the America of today would have reacted to the events of Karate Kid. Like how the Cobra Kai hooligans would have been rounded up and thrown in jail following the first incident on the beach. And why is no one wearing pads at the karate tournament? Overprotective mom would have filed a lawsuit on the organizers milliseconds after the first foot landed on her precious angel's face. Count on it.
But the most blatant example of how much our country has changed in thirty years involves Mr. Myagi. Because if it this movie happened today, there is no way he is allowed to walk the streets after punching and kicking high-schoolers. No one would have cared if he was defending Daniel. No one. The media storm alone would have at least forced him to move back to Okinawa. But most likely he's in jail and on a sex offender list. Count on that twice.
Not Everything Is As Seem
Now before moving on, we must discuss the montages. This movie has two of the greatest montages. And while the mini-golf-date montage is good, a better one is less heralded than all of the others: the Daniel training montage. When he is on the boat alone and trying to learn the crane kick. It's so quiet and small, which underscores the plucky determination of Daniel. We get to look on as he slowly overcomes his fears and begins to embrace his own existence. This montage is where Daniel finally becomes a man.
But of course the greatest montage is the one set to Joe Esposito' immortal "You're The Best". This montage has no equal. It is epic, and breathtaking. It may very well be the finest movie-making and scoring in the history of film. No, it is. Hands down. I will not argue about this.
No Such Thing Bad Student, Only Bad Teacher
These funny things aside I noticed something much more important. This movie is really more about adults than it is the kids. Or maybe it is all to do with the kids and how little the adults actually change the children in their lives. Either way it makes for a very nuanced dynamic. I'll try and explain.
Let's look at the adults first. Mrs. Larusso is well-meaning but ultimately self-centered. I mean, she puts her career over the very safety of her son. What mother lets her son continue at a high-school where he is continually bullied? And finding out that he has started lying about it (the sunglasses scene) means that the situation is really impacting this kid a very dangerous way. Moving on to Mr. Myagi, we find a very nice man, but still a man that is closed off emotionally and establishes early on that he no qualms about beating children into submission. Ali's parents are textbook examples of classist, wealthy, racist snobs. And sensei John Kreese is clearly a madman. The most egregious example is his threat of ordering his students to pummel both Daniel and Mr. Myagi. It's so menacing. It freaks me out every time. Seriously.
You Trust Quality What You Know, Not Quantity
Now on to the kids. Daniel and Ali are clearly nice kids. And Ali's friends seem like very nice and well-meaning. But look further to Lawrence and Bobby. The typical menu would feature one-dimensional, "rich kid" a-holes. Some easy villains for the audience to turn into punching bags like so much rehashed commedia dell'arte. But the character Bobby is not so easy to to set-up and knock down. He is truly appalled that he is asked to put Daniel "out-of-commission". And it's no suprise to the audience because he has been asking his fellow bullies to show mercy to their victim, especially when off the field of competition.
Now Bobby is clearly no-holds-barred when it comes to sports. He tackles Daniel on the soccer field and is a ferocious sparring partner at the dojo. You can see that he has found a way to achieve balance with his aggressive nature and can channel it into athletics. Bobby is a fully realized character. And it's why the knee-kick is so devastating on-screen. Because if Bobby is against it, the viewer knows it's bad. Bobby has too much respect for the game.
You Karate "Guess So", Squish Just Like Grape
These conflicted beliefs are not seen in a character like Dutch. He is your typical violent bully. he has no mercy. Adrenaline is constantly coursing in his body. Everyone has seen a Dutch. And I think everyone has seen a John Lawrence. An individual of great potential and ambition twisted by an awful mentor adept at exploiting a desire to please. He has become a casualty of war of wealthy conformity. He has earned well what happens to people who dabble with the lower classes. Maybe his fighting with Daniel is a form of protecting Ali using the only tools the adults have taught him: violence and disgust.
But John's gentler nature, perhaps his true nature, peeks through at the finale of the movie. The line, "You're alright Larusso. Good match," reveals that Daniel is finally accepted as an equal. Allowing Daniel to have worth destroys the world of cruelty and suppression that has been constructed for the bullies.
While John and Bobby show signs of repentance, I beleive Tommy and Dutch will never accept Daniel. Perhaps they too are from poorer families and believe ostracizing Daniel ensures that there is always a class below them. Scorn, they have observed, is a quality that all wealthy families cherish. And wealth is what they are truly after. And while they harden, it is beautiful to watch John and Bobby come out of the shadow of the classism of their elders. Because, Bobby and John are victims themselves of bullies that are much more powerful than a groups of kids that dress exactly alike on Halloween. especially since a bunch of dudes dressing the same on Halloween is totally lame.
Man Who Catch Fly With Chopstick, Can Accomplish Anything
Karate Kid is always lumped in with other coming-of-age movies from the 1980s. but I think the delicate beauty of the film. The heroes are flawed. Daniel is far to emotional, and impetuous. He picks the fight at the high-school dance, hardly a virtuous act. Mr Myagi is stubborn and deeply troubled. the emotional scars of his wife's death still haunt him. And he baits Daniel by calling his punches "girl" like. He also attempts to diminish Daniel's triumph of capturing a fly with chopsticks. Remarking that it is "beginner's luck", clearly an attempt to heal a fragile ego
And the villains, as I have already covered, are not villainous all the time. They are conflicted by the opposing forces of their own gentles natures against their families desires for success at all costs. I mean, the first group of friends that Daniel makes are far more cold and cruel than the Cobra Kai. I mean they kick the kid out for getting beat up by the worst bullies around. What a bunch of d-bags.
Don't allow the action of this movie confuse the facts. This is a fragile and delicate film about the journey from boy to man. And it should be regarded as a great film by any standard. Just because it includes some fighting and a date montage at a mini-golf park should not eradicate the importance of this film.
Until Next I Blog,
James
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Week 49: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Dear Avid Reader,
I Have To Push The Pram A Lot
Memory is a weird duck. But I guess it's the thing that determines a lot of my personality. I mean, it's how a know how to do stuff. Like I know to close closet doors because I saw a monster in one once when I was six. If I didn't remember that happening, I'd probably have been eaten by now.
But memory is a fickle gypsy. Again, I look to my own situation as a typical case. I remember, with the clarity of the ancients, an argument that I had with my college roommate about dorm chores some ten years ago. But when I began rewatching Breaking Bad Season Two, I had forgotten, with the voracity of a pit fighter, entire plot points that I had seen only months ago. The entire existence of Jesse's girlfriend was gone to me.
And it was the same with Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
It's Just Like Those Miserable Psalms, Always So Depressing
Readers of my blog will already be familiar with my strange middle school friends, and how we memorized Rocky Horror Picture Show and Monty Python during our lunches. But for the blog neophytes, suffice to say that because of a twelve-year-old theatre fanatic, my middle school chums and I memorized scripts of all kinds with a unique ferocity usually reserved for medical students before anatomy exams. In fact, I think I had memorized quite a few scripts before I ever actually saw a single episode of Flying Circus. So I was more than familiar with the Monty Python style before I ever saw Holy Grail via our talent show, award-winning troupe. Own horn tooting is now complete.
But even though I had spent all that time with the material, I found that I had disremembered several key scenes. Some of the lyrics to Sir Robin's minstrel song slipped my mind. The "Castle of Ahhhhuugggghhh" bit was not included in my recollections. But most troubling of all was the entire Bridgekeeper Questions scene was flat gone from my memory. This was an oft quoted scene in my childhood. We used to scream, "Blue...no Yell-ahhhhhhhhhhhh" across classrooms daily for a few weeks. And yes, we were very cool and good with the ladies. No more questions.
It's Just A Flesh Wound
But the peculiarities didn't end there. As I watched, I began to realize that my friend's performances of the lines had replaced several of the original performances in my mind. Like Micheal Johnson's stunning recitation of the Holy Hand grenade of Anticoh monologue, in a junior high cafeteria. Michael Ostrokol reciting the line "Well, she turned me into a newt" in a high-school Bible class even though I'm not sure he ever said that line to me. It's very hazy and ghostly. But I think he did. Didn't he?
Memories began to swell and disintegrate. The center began to fluctuate. The movie began to spn inside my head. Did I hear an audio tape of this movie before I saw it? Michael was the biggest fan among us and could only afford cassettes on his allowance. It was how we were able to run lines so effectively for those talent shows. Or maybe I didn't see it until my mom began dating Gary, who owned a video store, and my access to flicks exploded. But I think I saw it before I saw any flying Circuses. Or did I?
See...THIS is exactly what I'm talking about.
Go And Boil Your Bottoms, You Sons Of A Silly Person
Forgetting things is scary. To me it feels like I'm turning to mist all the time. And forgetting takes all the initiative out of doing things here in the present. After all, why bother doing anything cool when I'm just going to forget it later. I'm depressing myself.
Maybe I'm just bad at dealing with the reality of memory. Maybe I just hate it more than anyone. Of course no one else feels as strongly as me about forgetting because I am the only one who fully understands the problem.I am the only one paralysed by the truth.
But I'm sure it will pass. Even the knowledge of this shocking reality that I dwell in, will fade in time. If I just wait long enough. The problem itself becomes the only solution. Just wait for it.
It's closer.
Fading, and fading.
Closer still.
Almost there.
It's gone.
Until Next I Blog,
James
I Have To Push The Pram A Lot
Memory is a weird duck. But I guess it's the thing that determines a lot of my personality. I mean, it's how a know how to do stuff. Like I know to close closet doors because I saw a monster in one once when I was six. If I didn't remember that happening, I'd probably have been eaten by now.
But memory is a fickle gypsy. Again, I look to my own situation as a typical case. I remember, with the clarity of the ancients, an argument that I had with my college roommate about dorm chores some ten years ago. But when I began rewatching Breaking Bad Season Two, I had forgotten, with the voracity of a pit fighter, entire plot points that I had seen only months ago. The entire existence of Jesse's girlfriend was gone to me.
And it was the same with Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
It's Just Like Those Miserable Psalms, Always So Depressing
Readers of my blog will already be familiar with my strange middle school friends, and how we memorized Rocky Horror Picture Show and Monty Python during our lunches. But for the blog neophytes, suffice to say that because of a twelve-year-old theatre fanatic, my middle school chums and I memorized scripts of all kinds with a unique ferocity usually reserved for medical students before anatomy exams. In fact, I think I had memorized quite a few scripts before I ever actually saw a single episode of Flying Circus. So I was more than familiar with the Monty Python style before I ever saw Holy Grail via our talent show, award-winning troupe. Own horn tooting is now complete.
But even though I had spent all that time with the material, I found that I had disremembered several key scenes. Some of the lyrics to Sir Robin's minstrel song slipped my mind. The "Castle of Ahhhhuugggghhh" bit was not included in my recollections. But most troubling of all was the entire Bridgekeeper Questions scene was flat gone from my memory. This was an oft quoted scene in my childhood. We used to scream, "Blue...no Yell-ahhhhhhhhhhhh" across classrooms daily for a few weeks. And yes, we were very cool and good with the ladies. No more questions.
It's Just A Flesh Wound
But the peculiarities didn't end there. As I watched, I began to realize that my friend's performances of the lines had replaced several of the original performances in my mind. Like Micheal Johnson's stunning recitation of the Holy Hand grenade of Anticoh monologue, in a junior high cafeteria. Michael Ostrokol reciting the line "Well, she turned me into a newt" in a high-school Bible class even though I'm not sure he ever said that line to me. It's very hazy and ghostly. But I think he did. Didn't he?
Memories began to swell and disintegrate. The center began to fluctuate. The movie began to spn inside my head. Did I hear an audio tape of this movie before I saw it? Michael was the biggest fan among us and could only afford cassettes on his allowance. It was how we were able to run lines so effectively for those talent shows. Or maybe I didn't see it until my mom began dating Gary, who owned a video store, and my access to flicks exploded. But I think I saw it before I saw any flying Circuses. Or did I?
See...THIS is exactly what I'm talking about.
Go And Boil Your Bottoms, You Sons Of A Silly Person
Forgetting things is scary. To me it feels like I'm turning to mist all the time. And forgetting takes all the initiative out of doing things here in the present. After all, why bother doing anything cool when I'm just going to forget it later. I'm depressing myself.
Maybe I'm just bad at dealing with the reality of memory. Maybe I just hate it more than anyone. Of course no one else feels as strongly as me about forgetting because I am the only one who fully understands the problem.I am the only one paralysed by the truth.
But I'm sure it will pass. Even the knowledge of this shocking reality that I dwell in, will fade in time. If I just wait long enough. The problem itself becomes the only solution. Just wait for it.
It's closer.
Fading, and fading.
Closer still.
Almost there.
It's gone.
Until Next I Blog,
James
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Week 48: Grease
Dear Avid Reader,
Debt crisis averted. Until November. Seriously, we need to tax the rich and large corporations. They are enriched by the work of EVERYONE in the country. I'm cool with there being rich and poor people, but there is such a thing as gross wealth inequity and we need to address it.
Rant over.
If You Can't Be In Athlete, Be An Athletic Supporter
Censorship is a weird, but totally understandable. No where else in the natural world do creature stop themselves from doing something. If it occurs to a dog to run, they run. A monkey might realize it's great idea to throw a branch, and nothing stops him from doing so. There is no civilization in the animal world. well, there actually is some socialization amongst animals. Insects especially have the capacity to set aside immediate individual needs for the desires of the whole. Where was I going with this?
I guess more accurately animals show no signs of shame. Animals are violent to each other in front of there young. They also have sex in front of each other. But humans don't do this. There exists a fear of damaging a child psychologically. And this is why censorship is totally understandable, because humans are right about the potential for damage. Animals lack the ability to understand complexity and therefore have no way to grasp the subtle power dynamics of their situations. They can never develop an Oedipus Complex. This is what truly separates man from the lower forms, the ability to drive one's self mad.
I'm Gonna Get My Kicks, While I'm Still Young Enough To Get 'Em
Obviously the mental health of children is a real concern, and content exists that could imperil the youngster. This is the understandable part of censorship. The weird part comes in when the line is being drawn. Taste, it would seem, is a very devious enemy in the battle of expression versus the welfare of minors. This is because it usually side with the majority. Taste can be a real d-bag that way.
Sometimes America thinks it's way of doing things is totally right. Actually America does this all the time. And the way America sees it, at least when it comes to movies/TV, violence is OK, genitals and female nipples are not OK, and you should never say the word "fuck" unless it's only adults. These are the ground rules. But there are gray areas, like the word "bitch" or "ass", and what movements are allowed when trying to indicate sex is happening. Because everyone is different, this grey area is always moving, expanding, and contracting. It has led to a polarization of views and, like the political discourse, allows for only those on the extremes to be heard. Sad really.
The frustrating thing for me is not the fact that important discussions of art are reduced to body parts and dirty words. It is the stupidity of how some people behave. More liberal supporters end up defending the most disgusting and vile things in the name of freedom. And more conservative folks set up defenses along lines that are way too restrictive for fear of a slippery slope. And of course there is hypocrisy. An excellent example of this is the movie/musical Grease.
No Use Crying Over Spilled Milkshake
I love Grease. It's a great movie. But I'm sure something strikes every person who watches this movie first when they are kids and then when they are older. That something is that the main plot is about how a nice girl decides to jettison her beliefs to become more promiscuous in order to please a man and, to a lesser extent, her peers. Isn't this the exact thing that most conservative parents teach their daughter NOT to do? I'm being serious here.
I'll let you in on a secret: folks in the theater think Grease is a hilarious joke. This is because every high-school in this country loves to put this play on but always balk whenever it comes time to pick other material that they deem controversial. How can this happen when Grease so packed to the gills with sex? Is it really all that much better than say Avenue Q? And why give a free pass on Hamlet? You got like five on-stage deaths. How did Grease slip through the cracks? Is it the music? The era? is it because the Baby Boomers watched it as they came of age and now they give it a free pass? How did this happen?
Like A Beautiful Blond Pineapple
Of course this is an example of conservative hypocrisy. I don't have an example of liberal hypocrisy because this movie this week is Grease. That and because I lean to the left politically.
If you don't like that you can start your own blog. Writing is the second thing that separates us from the lower forms.
Until Next I Blog,
James
Debt crisis averted. Until November. Seriously, we need to tax the rich and large corporations. They are enriched by the work of EVERYONE in the country. I'm cool with there being rich and poor people, but there is such a thing as gross wealth inequity and we need to address it.
Rant over.
If You Can't Be In Athlete, Be An Athletic Supporter
Censorship is a weird, but totally understandable. No where else in the natural world do creature stop themselves from doing something. If it occurs to a dog to run, they run. A monkey might realize it's great idea to throw a branch, and nothing stops him from doing so. There is no civilization in the animal world. well, there actually is some socialization amongst animals. Insects especially have the capacity to set aside immediate individual needs for the desires of the whole. Where was I going with this?
I guess more accurately animals show no signs of shame. Animals are violent to each other in front of there young. They also have sex in front of each other. But humans don't do this. There exists a fear of damaging a child psychologically. And this is why censorship is totally understandable, because humans are right about the potential for damage. Animals lack the ability to understand complexity and therefore have no way to grasp the subtle power dynamics of their situations. They can never develop an Oedipus Complex. This is what truly separates man from the lower forms, the ability to drive one's self mad.
I'm Gonna Get My Kicks, While I'm Still Young Enough To Get 'Em
Obviously the mental health of children is a real concern, and content exists that could imperil the youngster. This is the understandable part of censorship. The weird part comes in when the line is being drawn. Taste, it would seem, is a very devious enemy in the battle of expression versus the welfare of minors. This is because it usually side with the majority. Taste can be a real d-bag that way.
Sometimes America thinks it's way of doing things is totally right. Actually America does this all the time. And the way America sees it, at least when it comes to movies/TV, violence is OK, genitals and female nipples are not OK, and you should never say the word "fuck" unless it's only adults. These are the ground rules. But there are gray areas, like the word "bitch" or "ass", and what movements are allowed when trying to indicate sex is happening. Because everyone is different, this grey area is always moving, expanding, and contracting. It has led to a polarization of views and, like the political discourse, allows for only those on the extremes to be heard. Sad really.
The frustrating thing for me is not the fact that important discussions of art are reduced to body parts and dirty words. It is the stupidity of how some people behave. More liberal supporters end up defending the most disgusting and vile things in the name of freedom. And more conservative folks set up defenses along lines that are way too restrictive for fear of a slippery slope. And of course there is hypocrisy. An excellent example of this is the movie/musical Grease.
No Use Crying Over Spilled Milkshake
I love Grease. It's a great movie. But I'm sure something strikes every person who watches this movie first when they are kids and then when they are older. That something is that the main plot is about how a nice girl decides to jettison her beliefs to become more promiscuous in order to please a man and, to a lesser extent, her peers. Isn't this the exact thing that most conservative parents teach their daughter NOT to do? I'm being serious here.
I'll let you in on a secret: folks in the theater think Grease is a hilarious joke. This is because every high-school in this country loves to put this play on but always balk whenever it comes time to pick other material that they deem controversial. How can this happen when Grease so packed to the gills with sex? Is it really all that much better than say Avenue Q? And why give a free pass on Hamlet? You got like five on-stage deaths. How did Grease slip through the cracks? Is it the music? The era? is it because the Baby Boomers watched it as they came of age and now they give it a free pass? How did this happen?
Like A Beautiful Blond Pineapple
Of course this is an example of conservative hypocrisy. I don't have an example of liberal hypocrisy because this movie this week is Grease. That and because I lean to the left politically.
If you don't like that you can start your own blog. Writing is the second thing that separates us from the lower forms.
Until Next I Blog,
James
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Week 47: The Princess Bride
Dear Avid Reader,
I've been reading my past blog posts. They are really good.
Have I introduced a blog like this before?
We Are Men Of Action, Lies Do Not Become Us
There is only one bad thing about this flick. At the end, Wesley, Inigo, and Buttercup hear Fezzik's voice outside a window. They all look and see that Fezzik has stolen four horses for all of them to ride off on. All of them seem happy, but then Inigo says something. He says, "Fezzik, you did something right." Like he's surprised or something. What the hell Mantoya? Everyone reading this, excuse me for a moment.
Look Spaniard, Fezzik may not have a sexy fight scene or a cool threatening monologue, but dude has been getting shit done since the get-go. First off, he nursed your idiot ass back to health and told you where to find Count Rugen. Haven't you been searching your whole life for him? And wasn't it Fezzik that knocked down that locked door so you could pursue the guy who killed your dad? Yeah, I thought so. And would you have even get into the castle if he didn't snag that cloak from Miracle Max? And you're gonna sandbag him now like he hasn't be an integral part of this little strike force? Seriously?
You did something right. As if! You are a dick, sir.
I Am Not Left-Handed
There is a terrible movie from my childhood that I memorized called Big Trouble in Little China. And I have covered this movie in blog form already. But Princess Bride is a movie that EVERYONE has memorized. And I mean EVERYONE. At least if they are around my age. Now Bride is a fun movie with just the right amounts of action, love, and comedy. It's also smart, in a kind of sarcastic, winking way. But more than that, all of the dialogue is sophisticated, especially for what is essentially a family/kid movie. I mean another movie would call Rodents of Unusual Size dog-rats.
But the eighties and nineties had a lot of children's programming with adult sensibilities. Look no further than Animaniacs for an Exhibit A. And that kind of kids-but-with-an-edge entertainment was very welcome and popular. So that fact that this movie was able to be a hit with so many of my generation is no surprise. The fact that it was able to be seen in more conservative homes also helped the size of the audience. I guess just one "Jesus" and one "bitch" per movie is acceptable to parents.
Never Go Against A Sicilian When Death Is On The Line
Having a movie that is loved deeply by so many other people, while at the same time is loved deeply by me, creates a weird dynamic. Bride is the kind of movie that I normally would classify a nerdy movie. It's got magic, giants, and fire swamps. All of the things my D&D character might encounter. But I guess because the fantasy aspect is so light, folks that aren't in love with the genre can enjoy as well. But it's still a fantasy movie right? Or is it?
And this is where my complicated feelings with the movie begin. I keep wondering why all of these people know about this typically niche movie. And so when I think about the movie, I think about the specific settings I've watched it in. Like in my college's auditorium, or on the bootleg VHS copy that my brother's friend Bobby gave us. It's the only movie where I always remember the context of the film first, before the movie itself. Weird right?
What Hideous Sin Have You Committed Lately
This whole dynamic makes for a strange feeling. Because I'm into the film hardcore (like with my other nerdish pursuits), I am always surprised it has such wide appeal, and my fellow devotees are just as hardcore as me. It throws off my game. It's like I don't ever think about the movie itself, only it's implication, only it's effect on me on and others. And when I watch it, it kind of takes on this grey pallor. Like I'm seeing it through a fog. I wonder if I even like to movie, or can even enjoy it. I have the memory of enjoying it, but watching it now, the fun of the movie seems elusive. It's as slippery as a Shrieking Eel.
Have I just grown up? That may be the case. But I worry that this distance I'm feeling is because I have just watched it too many times. And that truly terrifies me. Because if this can happen to one movie that I really like, what about the other movies I like? What about albums? How much time do I have with them? Will I run out of stuff to enjoy? Can artist keep up with the ebbing away of the excitement with new works? Should I start rationing now?
Hello, My Name Is Inigo Montoya
I guess this serves as the first sign of the disease of boredom and I should start making plans for treatments and lifestyle changes. Maybe I'll give alternative medicines like Jazz and foreign films a try.
Dang I love this project. Isn't this fun? This blogging?
It is for me. And bonus...I just spelled "rationing" right on the first try. Pretty awesome.
Until Next I Blog,
James
I've been reading my past blog posts. They are really good.
Have I introduced a blog like this before?
We Are Men Of Action, Lies Do Not Become Us
There is only one bad thing about this flick. At the end, Wesley, Inigo, and Buttercup hear Fezzik's voice outside a window. They all look and see that Fezzik has stolen four horses for all of them to ride off on. All of them seem happy, but then Inigo says something. He says, "Fezzik, you did something right." Like he's surprised or something. What the hell Mantoya? Everyone reading this, excuse me for a moment.
Look Spaniard, Fezzik may not have a sexy fight scene or a cool threatening monologue, but dude has been getting shit done since the get-go. First off, he nursed your idiot ass back to health and told you where to find Count Rugen. Haven't you been searching your whole life for him? And wasn't it Fezzik that knocked down that locked door so you could pursue the guy who killed your dad? Yeah, I thought so. And would you have even get into the castle if he didn't snag that cloak from Miracle Max? And you're gonna sandbag him now like he hasn't be an integral part of this little strike force? Seriously?
You did something right. As if! You are a dick, sir.
I Am Not Left-Handed
There is a terrible movie from my childhood that I memorized called Big Trouble in Little China. And I have covered this movie in blog form already. But Princess Bride is a movie that EVERYONE has memorized. And I mean EVERYONE. At least if they are around my age. Now Bride is a fun movie with just the right amounts of action, love, and comedy. It's also smart, in a kind of sarcastic, winking way. But more than that, all of the dialogue is sophisticated, especially for what is essentially a family/kid movie. I mean another movie would call Rodents of Unusual Size dog-rats.
But the eighties and nineties had a lot of children's programming with adult sensibilities. Look no further than Animaniacs for an Exhibit A. And that kind of kids-but-with-an-edge entertainment was very welcome and popular. So that fact that this movie was able to be a hit with so many of my generation is no surprise. The fact that it was able to be seen in more conservative homes also helped the size of the audience. I guess just one "Jesus" and one "bitch" per movie is acceptable to parents.
Never Go Against A Sicilian When Death Is On The Line
Having a movie that is loved deeply by so many other people, while at the same time is loved deeply by me, creates a weird dynamic. Bride is the kind of movie that I normally would classify a nerdy movie. It's got magic, giants, and fire swamps. All of the things my D&D character might encounter. But I guess because the fantasy aspect is so light, folks that aren't in love with the genre can enjoy as well. But it's still a fantasy movie right? Or is it?
And this is where my complicated feelings with the movie begin. I keep wondering why all of these people know about this typically niche movie. And so when I think about the movie, I think about the specific settings I've watched it in. Like in my college's auditorium, or on the bootleg VHS copy that my brother's friend Bobby gave us. It's the only movie where I always remember the context of the film first, before the movie itself. Weird right?
What Hideous Sin Have You Committed Lately
This whole dynamic makes for a strange feeling. Because I'm into the film hardcore (like with my other nerdish pursuits), I am always surprised it has such wide appeal, and my fellow devotees are just as hardcore as me. It throws off my game. It's like I don't ever think about the movie itself, only it's implication, only it's effect on me on and others. And when I watch it, it kind of takes on this grey pallor. Like I'm seeing it through a fog. I wonder if I even like to movie, or can even enjoy it. I have the memory of enjoying it, but watching it now, the fun of the movie seems elusive. It's as slippery as a Shrieking Eel.
Have I just grown up? That may be the case. But I worry that this distance I'm feeling is because I have just watched it too many times. And that truly terrifies me. Because if this can happen to one movie that I really like, what about the other movies I like? What about albums? How much time do I have with them? Will I run out of stuff to enjoy? Can artist keep up with the ebbing away of the excitement with new works? Should I start rationing now?
Hello, My Name Is Inigo Montoya
I guess this serves as the first sign of the disease of boredom and I should start making plans for treatments and lifestyle changes. Maybe I'll give alternative medicines like Jazz and foreign films a try.
Dang I love this project. Isn't this fun? This blogging?
It is for me. And bonus...I just spelled "rationing" right on the first try. Pretty awesome.
Until Next I Blog,
James
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)